It’s no secret, Himalayan shilajit has gained a lot of popularity in 2024, in large part due to TikTok’s marketplace, and many viral videos that brought Shilajit into the limelight. 

But did you know that shilajit isn’t only found in the Himalayas? It’s also found in other parts of the world. 

It’s true, Shilajit is found in at least 6 places in the world. But is there a form of shilajit that forms in America?

Well, in short, yes and no. It depends on how you look at it. 

Let’s break it down.

TLDR: Shilajit-like deposits with the richest known fulvic content in the world exist in North America. American Grit is composed of one of those deposits. However, to find true American Shilajit, there is only one known location in America where shilajit in the classical sense occurs, and that is the Andes Mountains. This American shilajit is known as Andean Shilajit.  However at this time Andean Shilajit is not availible from any major sellers. So use caution if anyone claims to sell any Andean or American Shilajit.

Look, this question is not easy to answer as there is no internationally recognized definition. And I encourage you to keep reading, because there is a lot to grasp to fully comprehend what shilajit is and why it is so rare. 

But if you want the short answer, in general shilajit is defined as a sticky tar-like substance that is formed over centuries from organic matter. It’s natural form is similar to coal tar, however unlike coal tar it has not been through the carbonization process induced by heavy pressure and heat. 

In order to determine if there is shilajit in America or not, we first need to understand what shilajit is. You see, there really isn’t a solid definition. And as we will get into, there are many fakes on the market as a result of the lack of standardization and regulation. 

Himalayan shilajit is easily the most iconic and well studied, but shilajit and shilajit-like deposits are found around the world in many forms.

However, to fully understand what shilajit is, we have to go a bit deeper. Further, this understanding is crucial to expose why claims of shilajit containing 70%+ fulvic are almost assuredly unfounded.

In fact, the fulvic content of shilajit is generally around 15-20% fulvic at best. Claims of 70% are based on either poor methods of testing or outright deciept. In fact we tested one of the best selling competitors that claimed to have 75% fulvic acid, when in fact theit product contained only a little over 6%. But this will be a future discussion. 

On the other hand shilajit can contain a wide range of rare earth minerals including silver and gold, and may contain polyphenols, amino acids and other organic compounds.

It’s no secret, death is a part of the cycle of life. And when forests die and decompose. Whether plant or animal, the material left behind breaks down overtime through several biological processes. Once this matter is broken down by microbes through a process known as humification, it becomes what is known as a humic substance. 

Depending on the age and conditions which humic substances are exposed to, the earth will process them into different forms of matter. 

As humic substances (whether terrestrial or marine) break down and get buried by layers and layers of sediment, they convert into humic and fulvic acids, as well as humin which is the insoluble form of the humic substance.

As time goes on, depending on the conditions these humic deposits are exposed to they can remain as a humic substance, or be carbonized through pressure and heat created by the layers of earth it is covered by. Carbonized humic substances become what are classified as fossil fuels such as tar, coal and petroleum oil. Which are considered organic materials, until they enter the refining process. 

However, not all humic substances undergo this degradation process. These substances can indefinitely remain as humic substances even for millions of years under specific conditions.

Humic substances break down under 3 conditions:

1. 1. Aerobic Conditions (Oxygen exposure)
   2. Moderate to Heavy Pressure (from layers of sediment)
   3. Heat (from pressure and the heat of the earth’s mantle)

You see, if humic substances are exposed to just the right environment, they can form fulvic acid which is one of the main active components in shilajit. However these conditions are very rare. As they require a deposit to be buried by just enough earth to remain anaerobic, and yet not enough to be converted by pressure, or the heat created thereby. This layer will create what is called a humic coal or shale. 

When this humic deposit happens to be pressed up to the peak of the mountains, it can ooze out of the peaks and this is what is known as shilajit.

It’s weird right? You would expect organic material to follow the laws of gravity and go downhill overtime. Toward the valleys and even deep under the ocean floors. But shilajit is that rare form of humic substance that is squeezed to the peak of mountains and oozes out the tops.

While it is not exactly known how this happens. It is speculated that the pressure of the moving mountains can force a portion of organic material toward the peak where it eventually finds a crevasse to exit from. But this goes to show us just how small the quantities of shilajit are.

This process takes hundreds. Thousands. Or even millions of years.

Once shilajit has reached these peaks it oozes out of crevasses in very small quantities, where it is collected by skilled climbers who break off rocks covered in the tar-like substance and carry it down the mountain.  The amount of shilajit that can be harvested in one climb is dependant on how much stone covered in shilajit that the climber can safely carry.

This is why true shilajit is RARE AND EXPENSIVE. Most of what is called shilajit that is coming to America is not. Or is at the very least a greatly reduced version of it. And while shilajit is amazing it is rarely more than 20% fulvic acid. And the scale at which 70%+ fulvic acid containing shilajit is indeed cause for concern. Because such conditions required to generate anything about 50% fulvic acid rarely, if ever occur.

As mentioned before in the TLDR, there is a form of shilajit found in America. However it is only found in  a very small region of Southern America in the Andes Mountains. 

While it likely that there is some naturally occurring shilajit deposits in Northern America, none is known of at this time.

On the other hand,  America is also the source of the most potent fulvic acid deposit known in the world. And this is the deposit that American Grit derives fulvic mineral powder from. 

While American Grit is in many ways the same thing as shilajit, American Grit is derived from leonardite deposits and not high mountain peaks. 

As mentioned before, there is a form of shilajit found in America, however it is only found in  a very small region of Southern America in the Andes Mountains. 

While it likely that there is some naturally occurring shilajit deposits in Northern America. 

However, America is also the source of the most potent fulvic acid deposit known in the world. And this is the deposit that American Grit derives fulvic mineral powder from. 

While American Grit is in many ways the same thing as shilajit, American Grit is derived from leonardite deposits and not high mountain peaks. 

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